Marc Houle Remix App!

Marc Houle Remiix App Update



Release Date: April 9, 2013

Formats: iPhone, iPad



Be one step closer to the music by being the ultimate live act yourself, with the help of Liine's Marc Houle Remiix Mobile App.Ę The new update being released on April 9, 2013, brings the user even closer to the Live Set and production creativity of live artist and producer, Marc Houle of Items & Things.



Featuring 28 new bass lines and 32 new drum loops produced by Marc Houle himself, this update brings a whole new range of possibilities to the table. Enter the mind of Marc Houle with a completely redesigned app layout and be in control of the soundboard.



The Marc Houle Remiix app tracklist ranges from Houle's great classics to new releases: Bay of Figs, Edamame, Mooder, On It, Porch, Triple E, and Undercover (from his latest album). Use reverb, pitched tape delays, loops in tight sync, and samples from his other tracks to give each track a completely new feel. With the release of this update, electronic music production becomes accessible on a whole other level, like no other artist Remiix app before.



Remiix is an application developed by the company Liine. The app features an artist with their selected tracks that have been broken down into samples and parts, allowing the user to recreate, remix, and rethink productions with EQ, Delay, Volume, and Reverb controls. When finished, up the quality of new work by matrix-balanced mastering and later share with the online world via Facebook, Twitter, or Soundcloud.



Liine is an online music and technology company based in Berlin, Germany. By bringing app technology to the tips of producers and DJs alike, Liine is facilitating music production with apps like Remiix and Lemur. The company has developed many Remiix apps for other notable artists such as Dubfire, Joris Voorn, Plastikman, and Oliver Huntemann.



The Remiix App will be available in the iTunes app store.

Download press kit with artwork on http://www.itemsandthings.com/releases/RemiixUpdate_presskit.zip



Press contact: clare@globalpublicity.co.uk



Connect with Marc Houle:

http://www.facebook.com/marchoule.official

http://www.soundcloud.com/marchoule

http://www.youtube.com/user/MarcRHoule

http://www.twitter.com/MarcRHoule

http://www.mixcloud.com/marchoule



http://www.marchoule.net

http://www.liine.net

http://www.itemsandthings.com

RECORD STORE DAY 2013

As the wildly anticipated Record Store Day approaches I have been given a heads up on some of the Demon Music Group releases that will be included.

As well as the official special Record Store Day releases there will also be some classic albums completely re-mastered,re-cut and re-released for your turn table twirling pleasure.

Starting this April, Demon Records will also present audiophile-friendly heavyweight vinyl releases from a broad spectrum of influential and adored artists across several genres.

These include The Jesus and Mary Chain, T. Rex, Marc Bolan, Suede, Ian Dury & The Blockheads, Dinosaur L, Family, Ruth Copeland, Ashley Beedle, Tom Moulton, Sugar, The Beat, Average White Band, The SOS Band, Ian McCulloch and more.


Due to the increasing importance of Record Store Day for the international music industry and the rapidly growing popularity of vinyl, coupled with the label staff’s love of the format, as a flavour of what to expect from Demon Records, they are delighted to deliver a very special release schedule for Record Store Day 2013, which takes place on April 20th in shops nationwide.

The rare and incredibly limited runs of Record Store Day releases are only available once, and represent a number of Demon’s illustrious catalogue artists, plus exciting new third party projects. The releases are as follows:


Artist: The Jesus and Mary Chain
Album Title: Psychocandy - Colour Splatter LP
Cat No: CANDY1
Quantity: Strictly limited to 1000 numbered units
Info: Paint splatter vinyl reissue of The Jesus and Mary Chain classic Psychocandy with A3 reproduction early gig poster.

Artist: Suede
Title: Barriers / Animal Nitrate - 7" Double A - side
Cat No: SUEDE9313
Quantity: Limited to 1500
Info: Demon Records, in partnership with ADA [Warner] present this strictly limited Suede Double A - Side 7" single, offering fans an exclusive link between their past and present material. This strictly limited package sees the first single 'Barriers' from 2013's Bloodsports album alongside Animal Nitrate which celebrates it’s 20th anniversary this year.

Artist: Dinosaur L
Title: Go Bang - Double A-side 12”
Cat No: DINO01
Quantity: 750
Info: Legendary avant-disco anthem from maverick cult hero Arthur Russell, the epic and sought after Francois Kervorkian and Walter Gibbons mixes are pressed on a clear 140 gram vinyl 12” and sleeved in a reproduction of the original Sleeping Bag Records house bag.

Artist: Marc Bolan
Title: Marc Bolan Maxi Pack - Double 7” Gatefold Package.
Cat No: BOLAN5
Quantity: Limited to 1500
Info: Deluxe gatefold package highlighting the only two singles from this era that Bolan issued on the EMI label, one a duet version of an old Phil Spector song with Gloria Jones, the other using the Big Carrot pseudonym.

7” 1: Marc Bolan & Gloria Jones: To Know You Is To Love You / City Port
7” 2: Big Carrot: Blackjack / Squint Eye Mangle

Artist: Heaven N' Hell
Title: The Heaven N’ Hell Remixes - 12”
Cat No: HELLFIRE 1
Quantity: Limited to 700
Info: For the first time ever on 12” vinyl, Demon Records sister label Harmless Records are delighted to finally unleash 3 stunning versions of Heaven N’ Hell’s mighty Whatcha Gonna Do. Originally from the soundtrack to the obscure 1979 film Nocturna, the tracks have been in high demand for the last few years.

The 12” features Ashley Beedle’s brand new exclusive remix, Tom Moulton’s original remix and a previously unreleased Tom Moulton instrumental remix.

Artist: Family / Ruth Copeland
Title: Ashley Beedle Rocks Re-Edits -12”
Cat No: ASHROCKS1
Quantity: 700
Info: Harmless Records are proud to present two brand-spanking new Ashley Beedle re-edits on two classic prog/rock & funk tracks exclusive for Record Store Day! Ashley Beedle sonically re-works Family’s Burlesque and Ruth Copeland’s marathon workout of the Rolling Stones classic Gimme Shelter to produce a stunning double-sided 12” limited to just 700 copies.

Artist: Ian McCulloch
Title: The Killing Moon / Pro Patria Mori (Reworks) - 7" Single
Cat No: MAC001
Quantity: Limited 800 numbered run
Info: To celebrate the release of Ian McCulloch's new album package Holy Ghosts on April 15th, this limited and numbered 7" single pays homage to the original Echo and the Bunnymen Killing Moon sleeve and features unreleased live orchestral reworks of Mac's legendary tracks produced by Youth (known for his work with The Orb, Killing Joke, Depeche Mode and The Verve).

Artist: Men Without Hats
Title: Safety Dance - 30th Anniversary 7” Picture Disc
Cat No: SAFETY01
Quantity: Limited to 500
Info: New vinyl release celebrating the 30th anniversary of the new wave/synth pop smash hit. Side B features a previously unreleased instrumental mix.

Artist: Chas & Dave
Title: ‘Rabbit’ - Rabbit Shaped 7” Vinyl
Cat No: RABBIT01
Quantity: Limited to 750
Info: Exclusive rabbit-shaped 7” in plastic wallet. This replica shaped vinyl mirrors the 1980 original single with Side A featuring the cockney classic Rabbit and with The Sideboard Song on Side B..

Visit www.recordstoreday.co.uk for more information.

If all that wasn’t exciting enough, watch this space for more information on the following forthcoming classic albums released on Demon Records, and Demon’s new soul imprint - Tabu Records.

Alexander O’Neal Alexander O’Neal (Tabu Records)
Cherrelle Fragile (Tabu Records)
The S.O.S. Band III’ (Tabu Records)
Average White Band AWB (Demon Records)
Ian Dury & The Blockheads Do It Yourself (Demon Records)
T.Rex The Slider (Demon Records)
The Beat I Just Can’t Stop It (Demon Records)
Sugar Copper Blue (Demon Records)
Leo Sayer ‘Endless Flight (Demon Records)
Saxon Solid Ball Of Rock (Demon Records)


All of the above releases will be on lovingly-mastered 180 gram vinyl and include exclusive download cards for a free redemption of the album digitally.

Demon’s key catalogue and new releases on high end, multi-format heavy weight vinyl, incorporating original album reissues through to high-end super deluxe packages, combined with beautiful, high-quality packaging, expert mastering and timeless catalogue at great value, equal a truly exciting prospect for lovers of vinyl in a growing market for the format.

The Vex - LIVE@Barfly

The Barfly – Friday 1st March


Tonight I am in the crowd at Camden Town’s Barfly for The Vex’s single launch for their single ‘Martyr’ and obviously I’m hidden in a corner looking like someone’s cranky old man or worse still a narc. The Vex on the other hand are scattered throughout the crowd mixed in with the crowd with friends and fans alike and in a very un-usual turn of events for a headliner act actually watch both support acts before taking to the stage themselves.

I have seen The Vex 3 times and each time am filled with the same excitement that turns me from a chin stroking gig reviewer into a skirt wetting Beatles fan within a few seconds into ‘The Revolutionaries’ (their opener). On stage they look like the last gang in town, part Star-Club era Beatles, part Clash. They aren’t pulling messianic poses or keeping one eye on the photographer they are there to do a job and give the crowd a good night, and they deliver on each promise.

The Vex aren’t for sale and aren’t part of some con by trying to convince you to like them with some musical hard sell, instead they take the roots of rock and roll and remind everyone what the music was supposed to be about when Muddy Waters electrified the blues and brought guitar music from the delta to the city. THIS IS CITY MUSIC!

Unlike the majority of wannabes they actually walk the walk rather than just name-check the right bands and utter the occasional punk platitude. The Vex mean what they say and indeed say what they mean without apology or second thought. The group amble on stage around 9:30pm and drop straight into the set at 100mph without letting up until the end with such intensity and fire that The Ramones would be forgiven for checking their watches as each song rarely clocks in above the 3 minute mark. Songs such as ‘A Fool’s Desire’, ‘The Law of Cause of Effect’ and the new ‘Burning Day & Night’ are raw, tight and hooky as hell with both punk and SKA showing influences throughout.

The Vex

The single being promoted tonight is ‘Martyr’, a track about the recent Pussy Riot arrests in Russia that although only sneaking a fag paper over 2 minutes in length manages to sound both complete and full. The song length for me is simply a reflection of the times we live in, after all people are busy, busy, busy and on a Friday night with a fistful of whatever wages the faces in the crowd have scraped together they simply don’t have time for lighter waving anthems that are best off left to play under X-Factor heartbreak montages , they want to exorcise the weekly grind and enjoy their weekends until the nightmare of the Monday morning alarm.

2013 will be the year The Vex make their mark no doubt and with festival season rapidly approaching you’d be a fool to miss out on the rock and roll train this early in their career. Get in early for a change and be on the cusp of the wave before it finally breaks.


http://www.thevexofficial.com/
https://soundcloud.com/#thevexofficial

Bad Boys in Rock N Roll...

In the wake of the recent moral pronouncements regarding the singer and entertainer Chris Brown it brings to mind more than a few other artists with similar pasts and lifestyle discrepancies that are casually overlooked and in some cases actually go as far as improving a legacy/reputation of those involved showing the next generation the type of pirate living stylish gunslingers who came before.

Below are a few other musicians/artists who’s personalities, behaviour and outright foolishness leaves them on paper less than reputable as individuals but who’s musical output has put these minor details in the shade of their historical biography. Hopefully the questions will now be raised on whether “do you judge an artists by their work, or by their personalities and daily lives?”


Ike Turner

No point beating around the (nut)bush lets jump in at the deep end. The name itself is vilified beyond repair thanks to the 1993 movie ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’ based on the book ‘I,Tina’ by Tina Turner. From that portrayal Ike is shown to be a hard nosed womanising, drug addicted bully who beat poor innocent Tina within an inch of her life most evenings due to his overwhelming jealousy of her talents that far outweighed his own, ending with him in jail and her beyond thunder-dome under the spotlight of her 1980’s AOR rock comeback. The film takes massive exaggerations with the truth and events and these have in fact been discussed at length by the individuals present and by Tina herself who later admitted some of the movie was sensationalised for the good of the script and overall movie. The truth sometimes isn’t as movie worthy and exciting as the reality so for drama and popcorn sales sake some peoples lives are bent all out of shape.



Nobody is saying that Ike Turner was a gentle soul that would never raise his hand in anger but this was also the same man that played piano on the very first bona fide Rock ‘N Roll song ‘Rocket 88’, the same guy that was a talent scout for Sun and Modern records and brought Howlin’ Wolf, B.B King, Bobby Bland and countless others to the forefront of music and gave them the platform to start their careers. He was a cornerstone and an innovator of electric blues who’s group The King’s of Rhythm were THE band to see on the R&B ‘Chitlin Circuit’ of the deep south. He employed future stars such as the teenage Jimi Hendrix in his group and behind the scenes financially assisting artist that had fallen off the radio’s top ten.

Rediscover the raw beauty of Ike & Tina’s early material such as ‘A Fool In Love’, ‘I Think It’s Gonna Work Out Fine’ and the beautifully sleazy ‘I’m Blue (The Gong-Gong Song)’ recorded by Ike's backing singers The Ikettes and you’ll find that for real fans of R&B and Soul their 60’s soul revue couldn’t be matched and while Tina Turner’s 80’s solo career was as lucrative and MTV pop-lite to the masses how far it falls off the radar quality wise when put up against her early records and Ike Turner productions. She made him? Do me a favour.



Lead Belly

O.K so we’re going back old-school here but nether less the fact still remains that Lead Belly (Huddie Ledbetter) performer of countless folk standards such as ‘Cotton fields' (later covered by The Beach Boys)’, 'Goodnight Irene' (recently covered by Jack White), ‘Rock Island Line’ (covered by EVERYBODY) and ‘In the Pines’ (later re-christened ‘Where Did You Sleep Last Night’ by Nirvana on their ‘Unplugged in New York’ album) and many, many more was in fact a short tempered two time imprisoned murderer who had killed a relative in a fight over a women and knifed another in equally murky circumstances.



Hardly the guy you want your daughter bringing home for Christmas dinner but his legend still remains to this day in the archives music and within the very DNA of what would become Rock N Roll and popular music. His Library of Congress recordings by John and Alan Lomax remain undoubtedly some of the most important musical artefacts of the 20th century.



Jerry Lee Lewis

The ol’ 'Killer' himself. Everyone’s heard the stories, the fact that he was multi-bigamist, a member of a fire and brimstone church who’s preacher was disgraced evangelical spokesman Jimmy Swaggart (his cousin!), the fact he married a 13 year old teenage girl (another cousin!!).



The pills, the thrills and bellyaches of the early wild Rock N Roll. While stoking the fires of hell with his demonic piano assault and singing Rock n Roll classics such as ‘Great Balls of Fire’, ‘Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On’ (once named the greatest Rock N Roll track by John Lennon) and ‘Crazy Arms’ he also found time to destroy multiple pianos, shoot his bass player Butch Owens point blank in the chest “by accident” while fooling around with a loaded gun one rehearsal and being wrestled and arrested by Elvis Presley’s home security guards after the severely drunk Lewis was seen climbing over the gates of Graceland armed with a loaded handgun demanding to see the boss. He’d still get a standing ovation if he took the stage today and quite rightly so.


James Brown

The Godfather of Soul, Soul Brother Number 1!,The Hardest Working Man in Show business, Mr Please Please Please, The Minister of the New New Super Heavy Funk… could also be described as a man that was arrested multiple times for drink driving (including a two state full on police chase which ended after his tyres were shot out beneath his truck leaving him driving on the wheel rims!), spousal abuse and assault.



He is still remembered as a true great, musical maverick and someone who seemingly never had a bad word about anyone (I.e. when asked about The Mafia “I guess they are doing the best they can”). He also made Rocky 4 bearable.


Phil Spector

Phil Spector is probably the oddest of the odd one out in this list for the simple reason that his reputation and personality has overshadowed his great musical contributions of his early days. His run of hit records in the 1960/70’s with girl groups and artists such as The Crystals, The Ronettes, Righteous Brothers, John Lennon, George Harrison and Tina Turner can’t be viewed as anything other than a gargantuan achievement, although as he currently sits in a prison cell on a murder charge it swings the pendulum a little too far out of reach if he’s expecting a lifetime achievement award any time soon from his piers.



I’ve often thought about whether the term ‘genius’ is justified with Phil Spector as he was an all rounder hard working guy that managed the business side, production technique, song-writing and talent scouting, it wasn’t due to a natural ability but simply because of his own personal drive and ambition. His reputation as a nutcase appeared after his string of successes dried up as styles changed with him flat refusing to move an inch out of his comfort zone and instead took on the persona of a reclusive mad genius who preferred to be locked away in his haunted mansion rather than in the studio. It’s the reclusiveness and the ‘genius’ tag that got hung around his neck that I believe was the factor that pushed him off the path of normality. The studio horror stories about guns being waved, sessions lasting all night and the verbal abuse lashed at anyone that didn’t obey his orders are almost as legendary as the final records that he released.

The most famous of his ‘victims’ being his ex-wife Veronica ‘Ronnie’ Spector who reportedly spent her wedding night locked in the bathroom of their hotel suite while her new husband screamed obscenities and threats at her. Legend has it that he also told her that he had a solid glass Snow White-esque coffin in his basement for if she ever tried to leave him, the glass top was practical so “I can keep and eye on you”. Her opinion on him "I think Phil was a very normal person at the beginning of his career. But as time went on, they started writing about him being a genius. And he said, 'Yeah, I am a genius.' And then they would say, 'He's the mad genius.' And so he became the mad genius."

Musically, Phil Spector is a legend. He brought a new dynamic to POP music that has never been bettered , it’s an overall vision possibly closer to a movie director or a landscape artist, he has the ability to see the finished product before a single note has been recorded and like a sculpture he’ll keep chipping away until the end is finally revealed. The wall of sound has now for him been replaced with a wall of bricks and barbed wire but the records will last forever as perfect moments in POP music.

So do we all forgive Chris Brown? The answer is of course…NO. The reason? It's too soon. In the world of social media, immediate news 24 hours a day it's near impossible to quitely leave something like spousal abuse to the history books, especially when your spouse is one of the biggest pop stars in the world. He also needs a few more great songs under his low slung belt, a few Michael Jackson by way of Usher dance moves don’t cut it for me. Come back in a few years with a classic album or two under your wing then you’ll be assimilated into the living being of Rock N Roll where sins are forgiven, transgressions are washed away in a baptism of time, good feeling and rose tinted glasses.

Martyr - The Vex

‘Martyr’ – The Vex


As we all know music like all art is purely subjective when it comes to what’s good and what’s crap. In some cases though there are bands where no discussion is required, no pub debating about set lists and envelope pushing barrier breaking, instead a simple nod of appreciation among the crowd that confirms that everyone is feeling the same thing, pure elation and good ol’ fashioned luck of the draw that they’ve been at the right place and the right time when the new wave finally broke.

This is the feeling I get when I watch The Vex play, the outright passion in their playing is above anything as petty as showing off and far above aimless strumming while posing for another pointless MySpace photo (I know! Who the hell even uses MySpace any more?) It’s all about the ‘moment’ and if you blink you’ll miss it. You’re either with them 100% or you simply don’t get it and if you are in the team of the latter then you never will. Influences are interwoven throughout their songs although nothing ever falls to the side of pastiche or copycat. Not since The Libertines early days has a group planted their flag so deep into the ground and proclaimed their arrival on the London scene.

Their debut single ‘Martyr’ released on the 1st March is quick, sharp and with fewer wasted notes than a Ramones guitar lesson and clocking in at a fat trimming 1 min 59 it’s a track that hasn’t got time to waste itself on extended outros or face melting guitar solos, this is a sonic hit and run!

Inspired by the recent Pussy Riot court case in Russia The Vex are carrying the torch and tradition of groups such as The Clash without resorting to the empty sixth form political posturing of their later days, instead they are providing a soundtrack to the day-to-day news stories without trying to “bring down the government man!”, instead they’ll just provide the soundtrack while it falls all by itself. Get it.


www.thevexofficial.com

March 1st The Vex single launch at The Barfly, Camden Town.

Marianne Faithfull - Broken English (Deluxe Edition)

Marianne Faithfull – Broken English (Deluxe Edition) [UMC/Island]


In the tapestry of rock and roll there have been many icons and artists that have fallen by the wayside, either from drink, drugs, ego problems or simply just losing the will to continue on the merry-go-round of show business. There are few survivors that come back stronger than they left.

In 1979 Marianne Faithfull was a shadow of her former self. The once consort of Rolling Stone, Mick Jagger, 1960’s poster girl and every rock stars fantasy girlfriend was now in a new decade homeless, addicted to heroin and penniless. Although wounded and fluttering the fire that began in the 60’s to create something worthwhile and something that would last was still burning, if only a slight ember.

She has been interviewed since about this period and has commented that she wanted to “show everyone”, to prove to everyone (and maybe herself) that she wasn’t finished and in fact could contribute something of value within music.

'Broken English' has been called a masterpiece and although I think this is a strong word to throw about I can honestly say that it’s Faithfull’s own jewel in the crown. A collection of songs that sit easily amongst the most popular new music and one I’m sure will be rapidly re-discovered by the trendies, upon the re-issue release this month.

Backed my musicians such as Steve Winwood (whose synth arrangements fit the lyrics and production perfectly) are noticeable throughout. Complete with looping bass lines and robotic drums they are paired with Synthesizers and guitars without becoming overused and clichéd. Unlike a lot of music of the same era, here they are used as icing on a well constructed, if poisoned, wedding cake and unlike the others have kept the soul rather than just directionless posing at the forefront.

The mostsurprising ‘instrument’ used throughout is Faithfull’s voice. The once soft clipped beautiful vocals from ‘As Tears Go By’ are replaced with a cigarette and drugs ravaged gravely tone which give the weight of the lyrics within, a real sense of truth and authenticity to the subject matter.

The song writing is great throughout with tracks such as ‘Witches Song’, ‘Broken English’,’The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan’ (which has become one of Faithfull’s most famous performances) and the final track ‘Why D’Ya Do It’ which was surprisingly offered to Tina Turner by writer Heathcote Williams before Faithfull took hold of it. After the first minute of the song you’ll realise why Tina couldn’t have sung this in a million years and with lyrics such as “Why D’ya do it, she said, when you know it makes me sore, cause she had cobwebs up her fanny and I believe in giving to the poor” I’m sure you’ll agree. The album was later rated R13 in New Zealand and was plastered with a ‘Parental Advisory’ in North America.

An essential album for anyone into the dark underbelly of rock and roll and proof that no matter what life throws at you there is always a chance you can climb back up to the top.


Released on January 28th
www.mariannefaithfull.org.uk

20 TOP TIPS FOR WANNABE ROCK STARS

20 TOP TIPS FOR WANNABE ROCK STARS


01. Don’t bother. The racks and iTunes lists are already rammed with rubbish bands, why bother adding to the carnage?


02. O.K., so you’ve ignored the advice of your parents, teachers, careers advisors and pretty much anyone else that has a vested interest in your post secondary school future, you’re in a band.


03. Sack your mate, he’s rubbish. He’s probably hiding back on bass guitar or rhythm guitar. He’s no good but he thinks you’re great so you keep them for your weekly ego boost. Cut to the chase early as it’ll just cause a row later. If you are the bass player or rhythm guitar player you should probably commit indie hara-kiri and dive in front of the gravy train before you ruin everyone else’s chance.


04. Impressing your mates isn’t enough. Yes you really got the crowd going at your cousins 16th birthday and that ‘gig’ at your mates end of year party really went over well but the average bitter drinking brick layers down the Dog and Bollock pub in Fulham think you’re a “bleedin’ racket” so play something people want to hear on a Friday night or pack your Japanese Les Paul copy away for good.


05. Cover vesions always work better than your finally honed original compositions but if your want to play originals don’t add a cover or two into your limited set as it just draws attention to how shit your songs actually are.


06. Listen to the sound guy. 10 years ago they were standing in your shoes and they have a massive chip on their shoulder. If you ignore their pleas to “turn that guitar amp down from 10” they’ll screw your sound up as you prepare your stance for the big ‘November Rain’ solo and make you sound like George Formby.


07. Throw away any business cards that get pushed in your palm from people that “work for a record company and really want to sign you”. If ANYONE is interested in you then you don’t need to chase them and beg for it, they’ll find you and make the first move.


08. Band managers fall into a few categories. The guy with cash on the hip, love for music but no real experience at all within the industry. These guys are great for getting rehearsals paid for, blagging some new equipment and for getting the band drunk after the gig. They’ll do nothing to get you to the next stage of your career. The second lot are the ex-music industry guys that were once accepted behind the velvet rope but are now as welcome at the EMI Christmas party as Jimmy Saville at the Early Learning Centre. These are the most dangerous kind, they’ll fill your head with magic and lies about how “we’re really making ground with Steve Lilywhite” when in fact their email to his MySpace page bounced back a few seconds after their message was sent. These guys/girls are a waste of time and an iron ball around your skinny jeaned legs. For Gods sake don’t sign a contract with these leeches.


09. It’s ALL been done before. Just because you and you’re mates haven’t heard it doesn’t mean there aren’t 1000 bands that sound just like you around or in fact 20 years ago. There are 12 notes in western music. You think you’ve got a new combination? Good luck. Just make your own chair, don’t try and re-design it with 6 legs.


10. Shut up. If you’re the drummer then play drums, if you’re the singer then sing. Nobody wants your thoughts on the Middle East crisis or the fiscal cliff when you’re plugging your demo on Hospital Radio in Derby. Talk about the music, more importantly YOUR music, NOT bands you hate.


11. Be honest. But not dull. If you in fact spent Saturday night at your mums drunk on hooch with the bassist rowing about the C minor chord not falling into the F properly for your new songs chorus then keep this fine anecdote to yourself, even your mum didn’t care . Stick to “we’re just working on some new sounds at the moment, really exciting times, we can’t wait to bring them into the set” if asked.


12. Clothes maketh the band. You don’t have to be The Hives but you all need to look like you’re in the same band/gang. Your guitarist may work in a bank Monday to Friday but if 99% of the band looks like Lemmy and the other like Brian Epstein then you have a problem.


13. Get a day job. You play gigs at night, all your audience works or studies in the day time, get out of bed and get some money rolling in until…well the money starts rolling in. Guitar strings and rehearsals cost money. Major sore point and cracks appear when one or more of the group is backing the rest but is getting no say in the musical side or direction at crunch moments. Pay your way you lazy dreamers.


14. Don’t jump on trends. By the time new trends are making waves and getting column inches in the music rags then they are already 6 months old and by changing to suit the new fad you’ll look like a Teddy Boy at Woodstock.


15. Stick to the script. If some snot nosed reporter or blogger asks what other bands you like, be honest but not dull (see point 11) if you’re a metal band, a nod to Led Zeppelin, Metallica and Motorhead is fine. Bringing up your Ravi Shankar Box set you got for Christmas to improve your “exotic scales” isn’t. The truth is that most music fans already know nearly everything about the bands they love it’s comforting to have them regurgitate facts they’ve already heard, you’re funding to the NRA or EDL is only going to effect the mosh pit numbers.


16. Listen to your betters, not your elders. Just because someone has been a record producer for 30 years doesn’t mean they know anything about making a successful record. The evidence? Well if they did know the secret to a successful hit record then they would’ve done, many times over. If the “friend” of the manager is putting you up in his ‘vintage’ studio and has “worked with them all” but is smoking roll ups and borrowing a fiver off before you’ve plugged in your tuner then it’s safe to say that he has more riding on you being a success then you do. Ditch em’. Music Tech students are a great blag, they want to work and get experience, usually have free access to studios at college/university and can be pushed around by 5 musicians easily enough.


17. Remember that it’s not about talent, but drive. You want to see a talented musician at Wembley Stadium then look to the right of the stage during the gig, he’ll be the one tuning and changing strings for the guitarist on stage as he furrows his brown looking for the elusive E7#9 chord. The musicians that are driven are ready to play when and wherever the chance arises, at no point do you want people to say “I didn’t know you were in a pop group”. It should be the only talk about when discussing you. The famous groups DO get out of bed at 5am for a Breakfast Radio spot to discuss their new single for 20 seconds. Bands you’ve never heard of sleep in and nurse another hangover.


18. Set realistic goals for yourself. Baby steps and goals that are achieved show progress, keep momentum and confidence high. Playing one gig, getting paid £200 (less beer money) and announcing to the crowd that Oasis will be supporting YOU this time next year will only be setting you up for the fall, and for us Brits, we love to see people knocked of their perch. Proof? Look how David Blaine was revered in the USA but mocked in the UK for his “I’m in a Perspex box ‘trick’”. Nobody over the age of 15 likes a big mouth smart arse.


19. Write and tailor songs for the venues you play. If you are playing in the back room of your local ‘real ale’ pub then a sixteen minute quasi-classical rock opera is probably going to fall on the few deaf ears that turned up. Save the ‘Sgt.Pepper’ tracks for the album. Your live shows should be full of songs that people want to hear and sing along to, they’ve paid their money on the door, they are your boss for the evening. Give em’ what they want to hear and mean it!


20. No stupid band names. Although ‘Jimmy Hitler and the Wheelchair Dodgers’ sounded hilarious at 4am while the band was stoned off their chuffs if the band beats all the odds and makes it to a record deal then you’ll be followed around by this moniker forever. See ‘The Beach Boys’ who for reference considered changing their name to ‘Beach’ in the early 70’s as 30 something family men with beards being touted as ‘Beach Boys’ while the Vietnam War raged on seemed a bit restrictive to their image on the rock underground. See also The Bollock Brothers.